Pillow construction



1955 H. H. SMITH PILLOW CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 7, 1951 I N V EN TOR. //a A], SMITH, Y

Oct. 18, 1955 s n- 2,720,660

PILLOW CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 7, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 4 4? H. :M/ 14':

United States Patent PILLOW CONSTRUCTION Homer H. Smith, Detroit, Mich.

Application December 7, 1951, Serial No. 260,520

2 Claims. (Cl. -337) This invention relates to pillows, and more particularly to a novel pillow construction adapted for giving additional support to the head or neck or other parts of a person.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a novel pillow construction which is particularly adapted for giving support to the users neck for increased sleeping comfort.

It is the further object of this invention to provide a novel pillow construction to give additional support to the users head, shoulders, back or chest.

It is the further object of this invention to provide a resilient specifically shaped pillow which is more effective than standard pillow constructions for assuring greater relaxation for the user.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the appended drawings in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of one form of pillow construction.

Fig. 2 is an elevational section thereof.

Fig. 2a is a section taken on line 2a2a of Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a different form of pillow construction.

Fig. 4 is an end elevational View thereof.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 66 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a different form of pillow construction.

Fig. 8 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 9 is a section taken on line 99 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a section taken on line 1010 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a slightly different form of pillow construction.

Fig. 12 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 13 is a section taken on line 1313 of Fig. 12; and

Fig. 14 is a section taken on line 14-14 of Fig. 12.

It will be understood that the above drawings illustrate merely several preferred embodiments of the invention, and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set forth.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates a pillow construction particularly adapted for use as a neck rest when lying upon the back, and which also may be used as a chest support to take the weight of the body off of the head and neck.

This pillow includes an elongated resilient body element 11, preferably constructed of sponge rubber, and which is substantially of oval shape in cross section as shown in Fig. 2a. This body portion 11 has an upwardly inclined portion 12 which terminates in the elongated resilient body portion 13, which as shown in Figs. 2 and 2a is substantially oval shape in cross section. Body elements 11 and 13 form a unitary structure. Body element 13 is rounded at 14 at its end, whereas body element 11 is downwardly tapered at its end as at 15.

Both body elements 11-13 are entirely covered by the fabric enclosure 16 whose longitudinally extending side edges are rounded as at 17, and whose top surface is substantially flat as at 18. The formed cover 16 encloses the body elements 1113 and is suitably seamed as at 19 to complete the construction of this pillow.

In use when lying upon the back, the reduced portion 11 of said pillow may be adjustably positioned under the users neck to thereby provide a support therefor and to avoid the often encountered stifi neck. This provides a positive support for the neck and thus reduces the strain normally received thereby.

This pillow construction is also useful when sleeping face down, and in this case the pillow is arranged diagonally under the users chest with the enlarged portion 13 adjacent the chest and with the reduced portion 11 adjacent the users head. By this method more of the users body weight is absorbed by the pillow to again take the strain off the users head and neck.

A slightly different form of pillow is shown in Figs. 3 through 6, wherein the pillow is elongated and of a general triangular shape in cross section as shown in Fig. 4. The pillow has an upright side wall 20, and at right angles thereto the fiat bottom wall 21, and the intermediate slightly curved supporting portion 22 whose upper and lower edges are rounded as at 23 and 24 merging with the walls 20 and 21 as shown in Fig. 4.

The interior body member 25 is resilient and is preferably constructed of sponge rubber and it is enclosed by a suitably similarly shaped cover 26 which is seamed at its ends as shown in Fig. 4.

This pillow construction is particularly adapted for supporting the head or shoulders of the user when lying on his back or for reading in bed and may also be used for supporting either side of the users face when he is lying upon either side. The purpose here is the same as with the construction shown in Fig. 1, namely, to relieve the strain from the users neck and to avoid the stiff neck.

A slightly different form of pillow construction is shown in Figs. 7 through 10 and which includes the elongated portion 28 of substantially tear-drop shape and which terminates in the elongated similarly shaped extension 29 of reduced dimension.

The rear portion of the pillow is curved as at 30, whereas the leading edges are converging as at 31. The interior resilient body member 32, preferably formed of sponge rubber, is angularly cut at its ends as at 33, and the strip of sponge rubber material is looped over to the teardrop shape shown in Fig. 9 wherein the tapered edges 33 are in registry with each other and there is provided a central elongated slot or hollow portion 34 corresponding to the shape of the body member.

The body member 32 is initially formed from a strip of rectangularly shaped sponge rubber of a uniform height. The top and bottom longitudinal edges of the strip of resilient material 32 are tapered or cut away and the strip of material is folded over in the manner shown in Fig. 9 and the registering tapered edges 33 are secured together as by the stitching 34A.

Inasmuch as the portion 29 of the body member is laterally offset with respect to the portion 28, it follows that the portions of the top and bottom longitudinal edges of the strip are partially cut away to thereby provide for the laterally offset portion 29 of reduced dimension as shown in Fig. 10.

There is also provided an enclosing cover 35 which is similarly shaped to the formed body member 32. The ends of the cover 35 are seamed together as at 36. Referring to Fig. 7, the body member has a tapered portion 37 intermediate the elongated portions 28 and 29. It will also be noted that the ends of the body elements 38 and 39 lie in planes at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the body member.

" This particular pillow'construction may be used as a shoulder rest for reading in bed, or the offset portion 29 may be used to support theusers neck when lying down,

a or. on the other hand one portion or the other of the pillow construction may be used as a restfor thesides of the'face when the user lies on one side. I

, A different form of .pillow construction is shown in Figs. 1114 wherein.the pillow includes a substantially flat elongated'portion 40 of substantially uniform height 7 throughout a portion of its length and a laterally offset elongated portion 41 of substantially the same height, but wherein the opposite top and bottom flat surfaces are slightly tapered towards their outer ends. The pillow construc- 7 tion also includes the inclined portion 42 which is arranged intermediate portions 40 and 41 and whichlblends' therewith. a

The opposite longitudinal edges of the pillow are curved as at 43 and 44' so that the body element 45, preferably constructed of sponge rubber, is generally of rectangular cross-section as shown in Figs. 13 and 14. The end portions 46 and. 47 are tapered inasmuch as the corresponding top and bottom surfaces of body elements 40 and 41 are tapered towards each other at their ends.

This particular pillow construction may be used as a support for the neck or for the head or for the chest and may also be used for supporting the back. The laterally differs from the conventional pillow in such shape as will more conveniently conform to and support certain portions of the users body, and particularly in preventing strain to the users neck.

Having described my invention'reference should now be had to the claims which follow for determining the scope thereof: 7 V

1. A pillow construction comprising an elongated resilient body element including opposite end portions of different widths, corresponding sides of said portions being ing a single straight line, the opposite sides of said portions being in laterally spaced parallel straight lines whose adjacent ends are'interconnected by an ogee curve and which defines the transition from one portion to the other,

the length of the pillow being substantially greater than the Width of the wider portion thereof, said body element having opposed parallel sides, rounded longitudinal edges, and outwardly tapered opposite ends.

2. A pillow construction according to claim 1, wherein said element is of relatively small thickness whereby the narrower portion is readily adapted to be superposed on the wider portion upon folding the body elementon a transverse line adjacent said ogee curve.

ofiset portion 41 may, if desired, be folded back over the References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 599,850 Larrabee et a1. Mar. 1, 1898 1,068,355 McC0mb July 22, 1913 1,701,124 SaffOrd Feb. 5, 1929 1,890,358 Barcalo Dec. 6, 1932 2,149,140 Gonsalez-Rincones Feb. 28, 1939 2,521,780 Dodd Sept. 12, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 491,261 Great Britain Aug. 30, 1938 820,810

France Aug. 9, 1937 

